Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-07
rat while high tariff is claimed


to be necessary to allow the pay
ment of remuneFatiye wages, it certainly
results in very large increase in the price
of nearly all sorts of manufactures, which,
in almost countless forms, lie needs for the
use OF himself and his family. He receives
at the desk OF bis employer his wages, and
perhaps before he reaches his home is obliged
in purchase Tor family use of an article
which embraces his own labor. to return in
the payment an increase 10 price which the
tariff permits, the hard earned compensation
of MANY DAYS of tolls. The farmer and the
agriculturaIist who manufacture nothing but
vino pay the increased price which the tariff
imposes upon every agricultural implement,
upon all he wears aud upon all be uses and
owns, except tine increase of his locks and
herds and such things mis- husbaairy pro-
duces from the soil Is invited to assist in
maintaining the present situation, aui he is
told that a high duty ON imported wool is nee
e-sary for the benefit Of those who
have sheep to shear in order that the price of
their wool may be increased, they, of course,
are not reminded that the farmer who has no
sheep i by this scheme obliged in his pur-
chase of clothing AMI wooden goods to pay
| tribute 10 his fellow farmer a. well as the
manufacturer aud merchant. nor is any men,
| ton male OF the fact that the sheep owners
| themselves AMI their households must wear
/ clothing aud use other articles manufactured
/ from wool thew sell al tariff and thus con-
I sumers must return their share of this in
! creased price to he brakeman. ! think it
NAV be fairly assumed that large proper
! ton OF the sheep owned by the farmers
| throughout the country are found
! in small tiocka numbering from
p to 80 The duty On the grade of
| imported wool which these sheep yield. is
ten cents each pound if of the value of 30
| cents or less. ami twelve cents if Of the value
Of more than thirty cents if the liberal esti-
mate OF six pounds be allowed for both fleece
+. The duty thereon would be sixty-tive cents
/ and this may be taken b. the utmost enhance
ment Of It's price 10 the farmer by reasons of
this duty. Eighteen dollars would thus rep
resent the increased price of the wo | from
twenty-five sheep and thirty-six dollars that
from the wool of fifty sheep, and at present
values this adi;ton would amount to about
one third of its price If upon It's sale the
farmer receives this a less tariff profit, the
wool leaves his hands charged with precisely
that sum which in all its changes will
adhere TO it until it reaches the consul
mer when manufactured into cloth and other
goods and material for use; its cost is not
only increased to the extent of the farmers
tariff profit hut further sum has been add
ed for the benefit of the manufacturer under
| the operation Of other tariff laws. In the
meantime the day arrives when the farmer
finds it necessary to purchase WOODEN goods
and material to cUthe himself and family
for winter When he faces the tradesma
for that purpose, he discovers that he is
obliged not only to return in the way of in
creased prices his tariff profit on the wool he
sold and which then perhaps lies before him
manufactured, but he must add a consider,
able sum thereto, to make a further increase
in cost. caused by tariff duty on the man
nfacture Thus in the end he is aroused to
the fact that he has paid upon moderate
purchase as a result of the tariff scheme
which when he sold his wool seemed Sc
profitable an increase in price more than
sufficient to sweep away all the tariff profit
he received upon the wool he produced and
sold
When the number of farmers engaged il
wool raising is compared With all the farmer,
in the country and the small proportion they
bear to our population is considered, when i
l. made apparent that in the case of large
part of those who own sheep the benefit OF
the present tariff on wool is llusOrv and abov,
all when il must be conceded that the increas,
of the cost of living caused by such tariff
becomes a burden upon those with mo1erat,
means and tn" poor, the employed ans
, unemployed the sick aud the WE'LL am
the Young and old, aud that it constitute
a tax. which with reckless grasp is fastenc,
upon the clothing of every man woman an,
child in the land, reasons are suggested VIII,
the removal or reduction of this duty shout,
be included in revision of our tariff laws
, In speaking of the increased cost to til,
consumers of our home manufactures, re
suting from duty laid upon importct
articles of the same description. tn,
fact is not overlooked that competition
among our domestic manufacturers pro
duceS sometimes the effect of keepin!
the price of their products below the high
est limit allowed by such duty But it is no
torious that this competition is too Otter
strangled by combinations quite prevalent a
J this time and frequently called trusts which
, have for their object the regulation of tn,
/ supply aud price of commodities made an,
sol by members of the combination. Tn,
, people can hardly hope for any consideration il
, the operation of these selfish schemes If
\ however in the absence of such combination
, a healthy AMI free competition reduces tn,
price of any particular dutiablc article o
, home production below the limit which i
might otherwise reach under our tariff laws
and if, with such reduced price its nIanufact
. urc continues to thrive, it is entirely eviden
+ that one thing has been discovered which
shoull be carefully scrutinizcd in an effor
: to reduce taxation.
The necessity of combination to maintain
the price of any commodity to the tariff
point furnishes proof that some one is will
ing to accept lower prices for such commod
! hat I1nh ttX,,